De La Soul - Stakes Is High LP

The De La Plugs created the D.A.I.S.Y. (Da Inna Sound, Y'all) philosophy on their brilliant and weird debut, "Three Feet High and Rising" (making them the first—and probably only—hip-hop act to appropriate a Johnny Cash song for their album title). Then they tried to kill the Daisy with their follow-up, "De La Soul Is Dead" and then tried to find their way through the aftermath of that unnecessary act on Buh-Loone Mind State.

Finally, a full three albums from their first, De La finds their footing with "Stakes Is High".

Here, they're no longer so self-conscious and it's easy to remember why you liked them enough in the first place to stick with them through the hard times.

With unfaltering lyrical dexterity, they get to ask the question, "Whatever happened to the Emcees?" (Supa Emcees), skewer the industry (The Bizness, with some help from that super MC, Common), and even shout out to their birthplace, Long Island, twice (on Long Island Degrees and the break-down-funky Wonce Again Long Island).

Tracklist:

1. Intro
2. Supa Emcees
3. The Bizness [feat. Common]
4. Yunonstop
5. Wonce Again Long Island
6. Dinninit
7. Brakes
8. Dog Eat Dog
9. Baby, Baby, Baby, Baby, Ooh Baby
10. Long Island Degrees
11. Betta Listen
12. Itzsoweezee (Hot)
13. 4 More [feat. Zhané]
14. Big Brother Beat [feat. Mos Def]
15. Down Syndrome
16. Pony Ride [feat. Truth Enola]
17. Stakes Is High
18. Sunshine

About this product: this reissue is pressed on 2x black vinyl.